Front Office Upheaval: How to Completely Change Your NHL Team Prior to July 1

With star sniper Marian Gaborik's pending free agency, missing the playoffs, and fan restlessness, people knew things were going to change during this off season in Minnesota. But who knew there would be this much change.

Old...

...New!
(even the video/picture quality looks newer, younger, and sleeker.)

Below, an analysis of what's happened so far this offseason, its effect, and what's to come.
(Dates are either when the story was first reported or when it became official)

Head Coach Jacques Lemaire steps down
April 11
After being the only coach in Wild history, Lemaire chose to leave the position after a disappointing season. Amidst talk of rifts with the players and causing free agent problems, it was clear before he announced it after the final game of the season that this was the end of an era. Currently, he's rumored to be considering taking the Head Coach position of the New Jersey Devils, possible working with the Montreal Canadiens, or consulting for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

GM Doug Risebrough fired
April 16
Shortly after the only coach the Wild's ever had left, so did the only GM the team's ever had. Only he didn't do it by choice. With the team in a rut and the fans about to riot, owner Craig Leipold made the key decision to turn the Wild in a new direction. Risebrough is now taking some time off this summer, but there's been mentions of him in relation to the vacant GM position with the Florida Panthers.

GM Chuck Fletcher hired
May 21
It wasn't too surprising when Leipold announced Fletcher as the new GM. Considered the main front runner for a significant amount of time, Fletcher has Minnesota fans excited about the new direction the team is taking. He's pushing an up-tempo, aggressive style of hockey that takes a turn from the defensive trap the Wild has employed in all its years thus far. Fletcher's first task was to hire a new head coach and has much to do in the upcoming weeks, including the NHL Entry Draft, hiring an assistant GM, and continuing to assess his front office staff.

Assistant Coach Mario Tremblay announces leave
June 4
After being assistant coach for all of Lemaire's career with Minnesota, Tremblay chose to move on from the Wild after not being included in Fletcher's short list of candidates for head coach. Tremblay always had a smile on and provided solid support for Lemaire. He's being strongly rumored to join Montreal's coaching staff as an assistant to Jacques Martin.

Lemaire finds a new job
June 11
One of the things everyone will miss about Lemaire is his sense of humor. I had the opportunity to talk to him once and he was great, smiling and laughing the whole time.

Head Coach Todd Richards hired
June 15
Similar to the GM search, Richards was the front runner from the start prior to being officially named the new Wild Head Coach. Preaching the same new style of play as Fletcher, Richards comes to Minnesota from his assistant position in San Jose. He's also worked with Fletcher in the past. Richards' hire in Minnesota is returning him to his roots - he grew up in Crystal, MN and played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Assistant General Manager Tom Lynn fired
June 15
Assistant GM/Houston Aeros GM/acting GM Lynn was fired, despite believing that his job was safe. There are some mixed reactions on this, as some are very happy with this decision while others are wondering more about the trickle down effect of this move. A new assistant GM will be announced in the near future and Russo already has speculation about who it may be.

Yes, it's an exciting time to be a Wild fan. It's only been a short time since we last saw the Wild take the ice, but there's already been a multitude of changes made that have completely overhauled the franchise and all of its past stereotypes and assumptions.

Now just wait until things start happening with the on-ice product...